Motor vehicle



Aug. 8, 1933. M. TIBBETTS MOTOR VEHICLE Filed Jan. 21. 1931 Patented Aug; s, 1933 f.

A UNITED *STATES This invention relates ingeneral to `motor vehicles and more particularly to vehicle bodies.`

In automobile design it is .desirableto have a long', low appearance, and in some cases this has been enhanced by narrowing thewindows vertically, thus makingV them relatively longer horizontally. In doingy this, and in lowering the seats as has been done in some cases, the occu-` pants of the vehicle have been getting lowerand f lower relative to the window ledges with the re sultthat the driver, for'instance can no longer rest his arm on the adjacent window. ledgelto give him a restful variation in driving positions.`

Oneof` the objects of the present invention is to restore `to the driver or other occupant of the vehicle the, convenience of the low windowledge,

while at the same time retaining thelong, nar-A row window shape,yor even permitting the-use of narrower windows'than heretofore.4 I

AnotherV object of the. present-invention is to provide a vehicle bo'dyhavingr narrow'windowl openings .and highv side walls,V with a section which may be moved so as'toallow an occupant tov conveniently rest his arm o'nfthe. windowledge orsi11.`.. .1v l

Anotherobject offthis invention isftofprovide an automobile bodyhaving a longflow appear- .ance with a movablesection whichfwill-lpermit an occupant to extend his elbow or arm through th'ewindow' opening andrest the same on a sill at a'comfortable angle;y

. Other objects and advantages will become parent from a reading of the. specification and lappended.'claims taken in connection with the 'accompanying drawing,l in' which: f y

Fig. 1 is a side elevationalview, with a portion ybroken away,- `oi? a .closed,type 0f automobile,`

showing the adjustable window sillof this invention in connection with theirontV door. beside thedrivers' seat. Y FlgwpZ is`ajview, partly in section fand partly in elevation; of the door panel valong the line"2 -2 of Fig. 1.',

Fig. 3 is a similar view of .amodiiication ofthe present invention. V Fig. 4 is anY enlarged sectionaljview of the latch mechanism shown in the broken laway por- -tion of Fig. 1.

In the drawing a conventional typefofclosed 'automobile' indicated generallyfat 10 `is` provided with the usual hoodI 11, top 12; slidingwindows '13, front and rear doors 14, rear'quarter panels A15, fenders 16 and wheels 17." An outlincof. the front s eat is shown in dottedlines at `Xjin ig..`1.-

Thebody shown rthe V(I rfdlg Vis designed'to tionv with the outer door panel 18,.,as `shown in `provided recesses 24. ingthe;` fixed door panel openingto a vheight corresponding yto the sillfof taken substantially n thezwindowj is down and .when-the en uterhiiigedl j'. .panel Yisioldeddown, for itY provides a substang1ass1.3.f:f-"

'Inthe. modification shown: inFigJB thereon-11,10-4 twg-,ign Qfejhgoutengpanel isjthe sameasithat j appear beth 12mg Aandv 10W; it Vwin be nted that in .this type of` body the .windows are both long and narrow witlrthe. sill` 1ine of the Window openj ings elevated beyond a point where an occupant .may conveniently 4rest his arm on thewindowo.

sill as was possible with 4previoustypes of "bodies wherelow appearance was not aneffect ltobe particularly desired. 5

In the present invention; v.tliedleft frontY iork driversl door` panel 1 8v is provided -witl 1 av panel 65.

portion 19which extendsa'cross the lowerl `por'- 'tion of the window opening. and can bemoved therefrom to enlarge the 4Windowopening down--V wardly.l "Iheuadjustable panel 19. isseQured to j the'lower door `panell .byfa series of hinges 21 70 of .the 4concealed. typev and is adaptedto'be swung outwardlyiand. .downwardly into la 4 position` as shown in broken lines: The adjustable panel.19

is provided. at .either .end with. a lzfitch22 tobe hereinafter .more fully described.y 1

When 4the occupant wishes to'. en te ld hiselbow vorfa', portion of v liisfarrfri outgof thawindow and rest it onthe window sill, the hinged4 sill 19 n iay be readily swung downwardly in parallel -rela.

full lines of Fig. 2.v To preventthe hingedsection Y 19 from bumpigagainst the1;pa .n el18,;v when it' is. in its folded positioarubber. grommets 23am y1`8. These rubberfgrominets comprisean inner Y and .outer resilient flange andarefadaptedto be' forced into Vrestricted opening'sinthe recess 24 until `the inner.. flange is, fully onfgth'e inside, leaving theY outer ange ori-.the outside`1 .-f the panel 18.. The .outwardly protrudingporticn 'of the grommetsf23 will act asambuinper `for the hinged sil1'19.. Q 1 '.51 In the preferred'. embodiment of the invention, the inner wall 25 i `sl shortenedbelow the window The lower :horizontalwindow l .seciiredl-to the upper 'edgepf the .wallf 25 by V'means offscrews -2 '7.1 Thefusual window glass frame 31 gwhicligsupports the-:movable window Vdal ledge when the kwindow-is unwand. the guter 10 Y heretofore described,` but in this instancethe innerv wall is arranged to extend upwardly to the same height as the movable outer panel 19 in the opening in the main panel and is hinged to the lower portion of the wall in the same manner as the outer hinged panel 19. In this embodiment the lower horizontal section 43 of the window nish molding is separable Vfrom the remaining sections thereof surrounding the window opening and is attached to the upper side of the-inner hinged section 33 of the wall 25 in the same manner as the molding 26 in the .preferred embodiment.

The lip 34 of the window iinish .molding '43 extends inwardly from the hingedwall 33 a greater distance'than the distance between the lower inner wall and the upper hinged wallsec.- tion 33 when the hinged section' is in its folded position parallel to the lower inner panel 125. -A horizontally` disposed recess is therefore provided-'in 'the lower Vinner wall 25 to receive this lipv -34 when the hinged section is in its folded position, so that the section will not protrude into the interior of the car, but will lie in parallel relation to the lower` section. The recess 35 door, is shown. Thislatch comprises a ball 36 which i's `held over the"mouth of a horizontally disposed recess 37, which is provided in the ends 'of the hinged'p'a'nel, Aby a plate 38 having an opening therein slightly smallerin diameter than the diameter of the ball 36. The plate 38k is secured to the hinged sections 19 or 33 by means of screws v39.y The ball 36 is pressed outwardly by a spring 40qwhic'hV is also provided inthe recess The door frame .31 is provided with` 4`a small metal plate 4l having a depression therein which coinides with the ball 25 which it is adaptedtoreceivaand is secured tothe windowv lframe 531 by "screws 42.y l y -Norm'f'illy,l in 'the preferred embodiment shown Xin Fig. 2 `thef7hilnged panel portion 19 is in its upright, vertical position and latched to the door `With the parts 'in this position the driver may rest his elbowon'the inner sill 26 'and drive in comparative comfort. However, when the win'- dow is all the way downgif the driver desires to vrest his" arm partiallyY out Yof the window, he merely-pressesoutwardly onvthe inner side, of

l n l the hinged panel 19'. This pressure willpress the position, the springA pressed ball 35 automatically securing it in place. 1 I ,Y l

the mcdication shownin Fig. 3 when it is.

desired to rest the arm Vpartially outl of( the window, it 'will be necessary to pull the inner hinged Vvwall section 33 inwardlyand downwardly as well as-to swing' the O uterpanel 19down'. Whenthe Viin-1erhinged wall j3`3jdrops, thelip 34 of the` 'Window Tlnishm`o1ding'f26 will engage vthe recess f and rest therein.-

It will be seen that by the presentv invention simpleian'd fe'ilicientmeans 'Shas been provided "whereby the driver ory :other .occupant ofa'n"au'l Astop means. l

6T. In amotorvehicle body structure, inner and outer separated `walls forming a window pocket tomobiler may, at hispoption, quickly and easily lower thewindow sill of his car so that he may rest his arm out of the windowr with ease and comfort, and the preferred construction also provides a substantial ledgewhichl forms a convenient arm rest on the inside of the car when the window is closed. l

f It will be quite apparent that the inventionas shown is susceptible to numerous changes in construction and'design without departing'from the spirit or scope thereof. For example, the vadjustable sill portion 19 could be very easily adapt- Havingthus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: A

1. In a motor vehicle body structure, fixed inner and outer parallel side wallsv having a window opening therethrough,y walls hinged to said fixed walls and adapted to be swung into or' out of the lower portion of the window opening and to extend in a plane parallel with the xed walls in either position.

2.' In a motor vehicle body structure, fixed inner and outer parallel side walls having afwindow opening therethrougnwalls hinged to said xed walls and adapted to be swung'into or out of the lower portion of the window opening and 5to extend in aplane 'parallel with the xed walls in either position, and latch' means forfsec'uring `'said hinged walls in position'in the'opening'. .l

3. In a motor vehicle body structure, xedinner and outer side walls having a window opening therethrough, a movable wall hinged to theouter xed wall and adapted to be's'wung into and'out of the lower portion of the windowfopening and toY extend in a plane'parallel with thexed 'walls in either position. Y

4. In a motor vehicle body structure, inner and outer side walls having` a window'opening therethrough, the sill of the opening through said inner wall being adapted to conveniently accommodate the armof a vpatssenger seated in the adjacent seat, and the sill portion ofjthe opening in the outer wall normally lying `in a higher vertical plane 1^ than the inner sill portion but being movable to lie flush with said inner sill portion.

5. In a motor vehicle body structure, a iixed wall having a window openingV therethrough, said vfixed wall forming a window sill, a wall section associatedvwith the xedk wall and movable into and out of the window opening for varying Athe size thereof, and stop means limiting the extent of movement of the movable section, thel uppermost surface of said section extending in` substantially the same lateral plane with the sill portion 'of the rlxed wall when moved into plositionout of the window opening and lagainst the therebetween, movable window ledge means associated withthe wall on oneside of the pocket, `'and a window slidably mounted in saidpocket for movement in either direc'tionvpast said 'ledge means in every position thereof A lio 7. In a motor vehicle body structure, inner and outer separated wall members co-operatlng to form a window pocket and a xed window sill, movable means associated with the members to move the sill level of both members to a spaced position parallel to their fixed positions, andA a Window slidably mounted between said members and movable past said `movable means in either of the extreme positions of the latter. A

8l In a motor vehicle body structure, a double wall having a window pocket andra window mov.

able therein, the combination with movable ledge means on one side of said pocket, of means associated with thewalls to maintain said movable meansout of the path'of said window while the top of said window is below the' top of said movable ledge;

9. In a motor vehicle body structure, inner and outer separated walls forming a window pocket therebetween, a window slidable insaid pocket,

one of said walls being appreciably higher thanl the other and the topof the lower Wall forming an arm rest, and means at all times preventing said walls from moving `intro the path of` said window. d

10. In a motor vehicle body structure, inner pocket therebetween, a window slidable into and out of said pocket, there being no part of either of said walls extending or adapted to extend in to the path of said window so that the window may have unobstructed movement, one of said walls being appreciably higher than the other and the top-ofv the lower wallforming an arm rest.

Y equal tothe width of the panel. v, `and f outer separated walls forming a window 11. Ina motor vehicle body structure, inner and outer separated Wallsforming ya window pocket l therebetween, a window slidable into and outfoi said pocket, there being. no part Aof either `of-saidf` walls extending oradapted to extend into the path of said window so that the `window may have unobstructedmovement, the outer wall being appreciably higher than the inner wall for outside appearance sake and thev top of the lower yinner wal1'forming an arm rest. "v

12. In a motor Vvehicle body structure, a wall' having a window opening therethrough, Asa'idwall *L forming a window sill, a panel section associated with the wall and movable intoror out of Vthe lower portion of the window openingfor varying the size thereof, said' section forming the sill portion when in position in the window opening and forming a coplanar lateral extension of the sillportion ofthe wall'whenin position out of the window opening. u

\13. Inra motor vehicle body structure, a Awall ing a movable panel associated with an edge of the windowopening for changing the size of the window opening byan amount substantially 14; In a motor vehicle body structure,

walls in either position. A

, MILTON TIBBETTS.

t having a window opening therein, means includ- 

